KEY POINTS
- 4,278 murders recorded in KZN over nine months compared to 105 criminal suspects killed in police shootouts
- Police commissioner highlights disproportionate focus on criminal deaths versus civilian casualties
- Province experiences multiple mass killings and violent police confrontations with armed groups
KwaZulu-Natal’s top police official has revealed shocking crime statistics showing civilians are being killed by criminals at 40 times the rate of suspects dying in police confrontations.
Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi disclosed that 4,278 murders occurred in the province during just nine months of the current financial year, compared to 105 criminal suspects killed in shootouts with law enforcement.
The provincial police commissioner shared these grim numbers during a Monday press briefing in Durban, where he highlighted several high-profile cases that have plagued the region. “You can’t be losing so many people and don’t cry when 4,278 people die, but when 105 criminals die, we make noise about it,” Mkhwanazi stated. “Something must be wrong in our minds if that’s how we think.”
Violent Crime Epidemic
The reported incidents paint a disturbing picture of KZN’s security situation:
- In June 2024, five family members were executed in uMzinto
- That same month, eight people were gunned down on Helpmekaar Road
- September saw seven family members massacred in Highflats
- October witnessed four killings at an Amangwe family gathering
Police have recorded at least 38 major shootouts with criminal elements since April 2024, resulting in the deaths of 105 suspects involved in murders, cash-in-transit robberies, armed robberies, and extortion schemes. IOL reports that four officers also lost their lives during these operations.
“Criminals are at war with citizens” – Police Commissioner
Mkhwanazi emphasized the disproportionate impact on ordinary citizens, stating “criminals are at war with the citizens.” While acknowledging everyone’s constitutional right to life, he argued that “the innocent should be protected more than those who cause terror.”
The commissioner stressed that police prioritize arrests over lethal force, but face increasingly violent resistance. Recent months have seen dramatic confrontations, including:
- Nine suspects killed in Mariannhill (April 2024)
- Six extortionists neutralized in South Beach (September 2024)
- Eight suspects fatally wounded in Richards Bay (December 2024)
- Five criminals killed in Ntuzuma (February 2025)
Safety experts attribute the violence to multiple factors including organized crime networks, illegal firearms proliferation, and socioeconomic challenges. Community policing forums have reported growing frustration in high-crime areas, with some residents taking extraordinary security measures.
Mkhwanazi called for changed public attitudes toward crime fighting, questioning why society appears more outraged by criminal deaths than the thousands of innocent lives lost. The police service continues working with communities and other security agencies to address the crisis through intelligence-led operations and visible policing initiatives.
